Effects of Music Interventions on Depression in School Settings

Abstract

The aim of this study is to systematically review the effects of music intervention studies on depression in school settings by analyzing the outcomes, the reporting quality, and the intervention contents. Peer-reviewed journals of music intervention for depression in school settings, published in English and Korean with no limit for the date of publication, were searched throughout electronic databases. The inclusion criteria for research design were pretest-posttest control group design that allocated participants either to an experimental group or a control group. The participants were children and adolescents aged between 5 and 20 at risk with depression or with depression in school settings. A total of 10 studies were finally included according to the inclusion criteria for a systematic review. Among them, 7 studies showed the effects in favor of the music interventions, compared to the control group. A maintenance effects were also determined as a result of the follow-up tests, although this finding should be examined more frequently in the future. For the analysis of the music intervention in association with the intervention effects, the finding for the reporting quality varied across the studies as the information availability in each study about the intervention components was different. However, the working mechanisms for reducing depression in music were commonly explained with the details of rationales for music activities and selected music. Moreover, song discussion was mostly performed and the participants’ preferred music was frequently used in the music activities. In conclusion, despite the positive effects of music intervention on depression in school settings, careful caution is required to interpret these results in accordance with the types of measurement tools and the appropriateness for the use of the music activities in the studies. Overall, future studies are required to clearly demonstrate the intervention procedures details in full and the rationales for the intervention contents including music activities and selected music. This study also suggests future studies to develop the intervention by constructing a theoretical framework through aligning with the intervention goal, in order to directly facilitate depression. The high-quality studies will then increase the chances of replicability of music interventions into practices in school settings. ;본 연구의 목적은 학교 세팅에서 학생들이 경험하는 우울을 감소시키기 위해 실행한 음악중재연구를 체계적으로 고찰함으로써 해당연구들의 결과, 중재구성의 기술수준 및 중재내용과 논거를 파악하는 것이다. 선정기준에 부합한 총 10편의 연구를 대상으로 연구의 전반적 특성과 음악의 치료적 활용을 분석한 결과는 다음과 같다. 총 10편 중 7편의 연구에서 음악중재를 시행한 집단이 비음악중재를 시행한 집단보다 우울이 감소된 것이 확인되었다. 감소된 우울상태가 지속되었는지 여부를 살펴본 결과 앞으로 더 입증될 필요가 있으나 중재 후 결과가 지속되었음이 확인되었다. 중재구성의 기술수준 분석결과 중재내용에 대한 정보를 기술하는 것과 관련하여 각 연구들의 기술수준에 차이가 있었지만 각 연구마다 우울감소를 위해 사용한 중재활동과 음악에 대한 논거를 설명하였다. 중재내용을 살펴본 결과, 음악감상 및 토론 활동을 가장 많이 사용하였고 모든 음악활동에서 참여자들의 선호곡을 자주 사용했다는 점을 알 수 있었다. 본 연구 결과는 학교 세팅에서 우울을 중재하는 음악치료가 중재구성에 대해 모두 기술하고 중재내용 및 논거를 더욱 충실히 제시할 필요가 있음을 보여준다. 종합적으로 본 연구는 우울감소를 위한 음악중재의 목표를 달성하기 위해 체계적인 원리에 기반한 중재구성을 제시할 것을 강조한다. 이로 인해 학교 세팅에서 우울에 대한 예방 및 중재가 더욱 활성화될 수 있음을 시사한다.